The US-Egypt Political-Military Relationship: A Critical Assessment

Original Link: http://arabcenterdc.org/policy_analyses/the-us-egypt-political-military-relationship-a-critical-assessment/

The US-Egypt relationship, once a cornerstone of American security and foreign policy in the Middle East, is in trouble.

True, it is hard to tell from the headlines. To President Trump, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi has “done a fantastic job” and the two countries “have very special things happening, as our relationship has never been stronger.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo avows that “the US-Egypt relationship is one of our deepest and broadest partnerships in the region.” For his part, Sisi proclaims he “very much admire[s] President Trump” and that, under Trump’s leadership, “the United States has regained its weight in the region and its role … We are completely supporting and cooperating with President Trump on this.”

But while the friendly rhetoric is as warm as ever, the political-military transactionalism that underlies the relationship is cooling off.

The publications re-posted on www.me-policy.org are available to the public and are not MEPP original publication. Each publication includes a reference to the source location. MEPP is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of MEPP. Experts listed on MEPP are are independent or affiliated with their respective institutions and have no affiliation to MEPP.